Rubicon Theatre Company Celebrates 4th Of July With Live Stream Featuring Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lauren Patten, and More

Musical icons, champions of the Civil Rights Movement and Black Lives Matter, Broadway stars, and "America's Got Talent" finalists have come together to help raise funds for Rubicon Theatre Company, a non-profit theatre company in Ventura, California with a 4th of July event called "Voices of America: Songs and Stories of Conflict, Crisis, Healing and Hope."

Rubicon has suffered a "one-two" punch in recent times, first with The Thomas Fire of a couple years ago, and recently (like so many other theatres and arts organizations) with recently with the pandemic.

The event live streamed yesterday at 5:30 p.m., and is available to view for free through July 6 at 5:00 p.m. on the company's website at www.rubicontheatre.org. All contributions up to $50,000 by July 6th to Rubicon will be matched by the company's board of directors and donors. Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey of Peter, Paul and Mary, who have both appeared onstage and written music for shows at Rubicon, headlined the concert, and were joined by Tony Award-Winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, recent Drama Desk Award-Winner Lauren Patten (Jagged Little Pill), composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz, Voices of Service from "America's Got Talent," Latinx and more than 70 artists. The event also includes a memorial to Tony Award-winning director Peter Hunt, who passed away from complications related to Parkinson's during the pandemic. According to event producer Stephanie Coltrin, the event was created as "thinking-person's 4th of July celebration - a response to and reflection of what's happening in our world."

B-roll available of: Stookey and Patten performing "America the Beautiful" with new verses relevant to the times, and Peter Yarrow performing "Weave Me the Sunshine" and "This Land is Your Land," Andrew Samonsky, Wilson Cruz and Natascia Diaz singing "Louder Than Words," and Brian Stokes Mitchell singing "Grateful" acapella.